The ability to regulate the expression of particular genes of interest is important for many purposes, including, for example, (i) investigation of the biological function of a particular gene product; (ii) design of variants of the gene product that are tailored for different ends; and (iii) identification of agents that influence the activity of the gene product, including, e.g., inhibitors or activators. The ease of performing genetic and molecular manipulations in S. cerevisiae has made it an extremely useful experimental organism for regulated expression of recombinant genes. However, many gene expression systems based on S. cerevisiae are limited in their applicability by (i) the degree of regulation that can be achieved, i.e., the extent to which genes can be turned on and off, as well as the timing of these events; (ii) the relative stability of certain gene products, which makes it difficult to quickly deplete the cell of a gene product; and (iii) potential metabolic side effects of the procedures used to trigger or initiate changes in gene expression.
Thus, there is a need in the art for S. cerevisiae expression systems in which gene expression can be tightly and efficiently regulated, with respect to both transcription of the gene and accumulation of the protein product.